2024-03-31-accounts - Nourish Community Foodbank Limited

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Annual Report for the year ending 31[st] March 2024

Nourish is a registered charity and an independent foodbank providing emergency food, household essentials and support to individuals and families in times of crisis across the borough of Tunbridge Wells and south Tonbridge

Nourish Community Foodbank

Registered Charity Number (England and Wales): 1154716

Registered Company Number (England and Wales): 08303764

Board of Trustees

Sue Smith - Chair Peter Wooster - Treasurer Viv Packer Bryony Roy Nicola Hill (resigned May 2023) Adrian Tofts Annie Jordan (resigned November 2023) Simon Vincent Lynne Mepham Adrian Conroy Matthew Lowe (joined May 2023) David Robson (joined April 2023, resigned January 2024) Michael Weller (joined March 2024) Suneeta Puranik (joined March 2024) Elaine Hanham (joined March 2024)

Address and Registered Office

Unit 5, Kingstanding Way, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 3UP

Bankers

CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JC NatWest Bank, 89 Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1JQ Metro Bank PLC, 2 & 4 Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2TB

Accounts independently reviewed by

Deeks Evans, Chartered Accountants, West Barn, North Frith Farm, Ashes Lane, Hadlow, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9QU

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A year in numbers

In 2023-24 the cost of living crisis continued to affect people in the Tunbridge Wells and south Tonbridge areas. Once again, we saw an increase in demand for our services across the region and we delivered more food than ever before. Once again we had to use our cash reserves to help people struggling with energy bills and provide vouchers so they could afford to cook their food as well as heat their homes. Once again, almost half of the people we helped were children.

Foodbanks remain a vital lifeline for a growing number of people across the country, and are increasingly becoming a standard part of the safety net for helping the most disadvantaged in our society. Regrettably, this is also true for Nourish here in Tunbridge Wells and south Tonbridge.

Note: the statistics above are drawn from our records. As part of our ongoing work to improve our processes and make ourselves more efficient, we are using systems and software differently to help us manage client referrals and record keeping better. This means that while we have more data available now, it is not directly comparable with previous years, so we have not included a year-on-year comparison. For reference, our previous Annual Reports are available on our website.

Chair’s message

In my message last year, I reflected that the year had not been an easy one, with the cost-of-living crisis biting still harder and creating ever-increasing levels of food poverty, need and crisis amongst vulnerable and hard-working people in our community. I would have liked to say that things have improved significantly during 2023-2024, but unfortunately this has not been the case.

This time last year food donations were diminishing, understandably, with food costs rising due to the economic downturn, and the war in Ukraine. We had to spend more of our financial reserves to supplement our food supplies and it has not changed this year. What was different this year, was the additional significant drop in monetary donations.

We therefore had to take the difficult decision to suspend the purchase and distribution of energy vouchers which were helping those struggling with utility bills. This scheme began in 2022 with government funding, and we had decided to continue providing them with Nourish monies from February 2023. However, in October, with the reduction in financial giving, we deemed it right to pause the scheme, until we could increase donations and obtain additional grant funding to support the project. This we managed to do successfully, receiving more than £75,000 in response to grant applications. Additionally, by once more running our ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ campaign (supported by Tunbridge Wells Round Table and Rotary Club), and working harder on our Harvest and supermarket collections, the warehouse was full by the end of the year.

I must, at this point, pay tribute to Dawn Stanford, Nourish’s Operations Director, and her team of staff and volunteers. They do a fantastic job running the warehouse and managing the deliveries, but between the end of October and going into January this year, they pulled out all the stops to respond to our minor crisis in funding and supplies. I would also like to highlight Dawn’s amazing ability to network and use all media channels to bring wide-ranging positive attention to Nourish’s ‘raison d’etre’. This was instrumental in the success of the campaigns, and key to our being able to restart the provision of energy vouchers and keep the warehouse fully stocked with food donations.

However, we know we cannot be complacent, and we need to develop and improve. We will therefore be continuing to highlight the need for food and financial donations, especially regular giving, which is so important in creating a sustainable budget. Although referral numbers have not increased as much as originally anticipated, we know that this is not an accurate reflection of need in our area. Evidence suggests that a number of clients needing food would benefit from being able to apply directly to us, rather than via referral agencies, so we are considering introducing a direct referral system in parallel. In the meantime, with a view to better communication of the work we do, and to enable more efficient and accurate referrals for food parcels, we refreshed the look, feel and functionality of our website, and we will continue to work on this.

Food poverty can affect any one of us, and as we look ahead to another challenging year, I ask that if you are able to support Nourish in any way, please do. The whole team of staff, volunteers and trustees would be deeply appreciative, as indeed would our clients.

Sue Smith

Chair of Trustees

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Operations Director’s message

Every year I give school assemblies at Harvest festival time, to tell young people about Nourish and to encourage food donations. As a charity that continues to grow and is as busy as we are, it is hard to stop and reflect, but assemblies help me to do that. I read out a letter from a client, that she wanted to be passed on to supporters to explain how grateful she was. I’m sharing it here because I think it sums up not only what the impact of a donation is, but the fragility of life, of finances and how things can change that are totally out of our control.

Dear Nourish supporter

We have always worked, since leaving school really, and enjoyed what I think is a nice life. We go out, we have holidays, and our house is pretty much just the way we want it. We both worked at the same restaurant when the pandemic hit, we both got laid off on furloughed wages. At first it was ok because we had savings and we thought it wouldn’t be for long. We dipped into our savings more and more and I started to worry the longer things went on.

Stress is a strange thing, I used to be stressed at work when things were busy but stress over bills and lack of money is totally different. I had to go to my doctor and was prescribed medication.

Things got tougher. In fact I’m not sure how we managed through that long period. When things opened up our restaurant didn’t and although my husband got a new job fairly quickly we were down to one wage and my mental health got worse. We had a referral to Nourish and food parcels arrived! We had always donated to Nourish, at our local supermarket and even through the pandemic too when we could.

Now I’ve had those food parcels.

During all this I was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago. The treatment has been successful so far but I am left unable to work and things are still tough. One wage is not enough to pay our bills or heat our home and the food and energy vouchers we have had from Nourish have kept our heads above water.

I used to be you, putting a tin of food or some bubble bath in a collection and not really knowing who received it at the other end. But let me tell you, when things have gone wrong, things that you can’t control and you can’t see a way up, that bubble bath, that cup of tea and a biscuit, those ingredients for a dinner you didn’t know how you would make, they mean the world. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Dani.x

For me, this is why Nourish was formed and why we fight hard to keep Nourish going, so that for the next person who needs us, Nourish can be there. When we help someone, to be a part of their story is truly something special, and I want every supporter and volunteer to feel part of it, because Nourish continues to be here thanks to them.

If you support us with time, money, donations or spreading our message, thank you, and from every client like Dani, I pass on their thanks too.

Dawn Stanford Operations Director

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What we do

Nourish Community Foodbank is an independent charity providing emergency food, household essentials and support to individuals and families in crisis across the borough of Tunbridge Wells and south Tonbridge. We serve an area of almost 300 km[2] with a team of volunteers and just five members of staff, only one of whom is full-time.

Our mission is to make sure that no one in our area goes hungry.

We work with over 200 frontline referrers across our area, including charities, local government, schools and social workers. These agencies rely on us to help the vulnerable people and households that they identify as being in need. We deliver food parcels direct to people’s doors - if needed, within hours of the referral being made.

In 2023-24, we continued to help address the problem of fuel poverty, caused by the crisis in energy prices. This year there were no government vouchers, so we stepped up and provided just under £100,000 of support to people struggling to pay their utility bills. This meant the hard-pressed households that we were providing with food could cook that food as well as heat their homes - without having to choose between heating and eating. We continued to distribute slow cookers (with recipes and ingredients) to help people in crisis cook more economically.

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Our clients

When clients are referred to us, it can be for any number of reasons, and usually a combination of factors. Most frequently, referrals arise as a result of events outside the client’s control, leaving them struggling with nobody to turn to. The most common primary referral reasons in 2023-24 are shown in the pie chart below.

Once again, the most common reason for referral was changes to clients’ benefits. This is when clients are moved onto a new social security benefit or their support changes and they are left without payments for several weeks as the system catches up.

It is worth noting that, although our data shows a smaller number (compared to last year) of clients citing domestic abuse as the primary factor, regrettably this is because of a minor adjustment to our data gathering methods, not a real decrease in domestic violence.

Other factors included accidents (which can leave zero hours workers out of work with no income), unemployment, debt problems and covering an unexpected big bill without any ‘rainy day’ savings. ‘Holiday hunger’ is a category that has increased this year: these are referrals for families unable to feed their children through the school holidays, when extra childcare costs or the absence of Free School Meals can critically affect a family budget.

Clients are referred to us when they have run out of other options, and we help them without judgement - whatever the reason they need us.

Primary reason for client referral 2023-24

How we work

The referral process

Our clients are referred to us by over 200 frontline professionals. These include social workers, GPs, family liaison officers, schools, housing support workers, the police, mental health organisations, local authority early intervention teams and charities like Citizens Advice and Age UK. Referrers assess clients’ eligibility, abiding by our policy of making no distinction based on gender, age, ethnicity or political, religious or other opinions.

Food delivery

Volunteer packers make up food parcels in our warehouse Monday to Friday, every week of the year. Each food parcel contains staples (e.g. cereals, pasta, rice), tins and bread, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables, plus toiletries. If clients need them, we also include essentials such as baby food, nappies, sanitary products and pet food. We aim to accommodate specific dietary preferences such as vegetarian or vegan, religious requirements and intolerances and allergies.

The parcels are then taken directly by our friendly volunteer drivers to the doorsteps of people in crisis. Clients receive one food parcel a week, and most clients receive four parcels or fewer. We deliver, rather than require clients to collect from a central point, because it builds dignity and ensures confidentiality (this is particularly important for vulnerable clients who are victims of domestic abuse or coercive relationships). Delivery also eliminates the need for elderly or infirm clients to carry heavy parcels of food to their homes. It is often difficult for clients to collect at predetermined times, meaning delivery is more practical as it helps us to manage our hours of operation, as well as minimising travel costs for hard-pressed households.

More than food

A member of the Nourish Operations team speaks to each client (and their referrer) to better understand their circumstances and life challenges. We provide non-judgemental support and advice. If we can, we refer clients to other specialist agencies (e.g. debt alleviation or housing organisations) to help them address any underlying issues and move forward with their lives. Nourish also contributes to local case study teams, helping to address issues affecting vulnerable individuals. Understanding clients’ challenges helps us to shape our service to reduce food poverty in our local community, and we collaborate with other regional food banks to ensure we are following best practice.

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How we work

Our operations centre

We operate from a unit on the Tunbridge Wells North Farm Industrial Estate, which we moved into in 2021, having outgrown our previous premises. The warehouse provides space for stock, offices for our staff to work, and space for our volunteers to receive and sort incoming food donations and deliveries, as well as make up food parcels for distribution to clients. We regularly collect food from donation points in local supermarkets, schools, churches and businesses. We also receive donations of stock directly to the warehouse from members of the public and local organisations and businesses.

Our staff

Despite the growing need in our community, our team remains small. They are very dedicated and efficient and always go above and beyond to provide exceptional service to our clients. The team comprises a full time Operations Director plus four part time roles: Operations Manager, Finance Manager, Administration Assistant and Warehouse Manager.

Our volunteers

Nourish has over 50 wonderful regular volunteers, without whom the charity could not operate. They undertake a variety of roles including packing and delivering food parcels, stock management, providing IT support and assisting at fundraising events. During the year we have been delighted to welcome youth groups and corporate teams to the warehouse, helping them develop new skills and contribute to their local community.

There have been a few small changes of personnel on the Board of Trustees, with some resignations and appointments as new recruits join to contribute their skills and experience.

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Our impact

For some of our clients, one delivery is enough to improve things and then they do not need any further help from us. Others receive two or three parcels and are back on their feet. Some clients, sadly, are referred multiple times, but often for entirely different reasons. Every case is different. Many clients are reluctant to give us details about their circumstances, because of a sense of shame at having to turn to a foodbank. Referral agencies cannot, of course, share confidential information about clients. In short, quantifiable data about our impact is hard to come by.

That said, we make it part of our work to talk to clients and referral agencies all the time, to improve our service and make sure it is helping our clients. Qualitative feedback from all our stakeholders gives us a strong sense of the difference our services make to clients and their families.

On the opposite page are four anonymised accounts of clients we helped last year, and what we did to support them. Below is a representation of how we believe our work fits into and contributes to improving lives in the Tunbridge Wells and south Tonbridge areas.

The people we help

At Nourish we help people in crisis, whatever the reason. Here are just four examples from the thousands of people that we helped this year with food, vouchers, slow-cookers and other support.

After suffering most of her life from schizophrenia and related mental health problems, and with a history of self-neglect, Geraldine, now in her late 60s, had turned a corner and had been living independently on her pension, with support from NHS specialists. On one - of their regular visits, they found her in a terrible way slumped in a chair, her flat smelling, with no heating, no hot water, no electricity, and no food. She hadn’t eaten for days. Geraldine had been robbed. She was using all her pension to pay off a funeral plan, mis-sold by a phone scammer, and she had no money for anything else. Nourish brought her two weeks of nutritional prepared meals to ease the immediate malnourishment, then four further weeks of food parcels and a slow cooker. We gave her vouchers for her fuel and gradually she has returned to an even keel.

John has learning difficulties, but was living independently with a paid job and a little help from his mum. When she died, John was overcome with grief and was unable to work. He was referred to Nourish, who helped him with regular food parcels and a slow cooker, as well as fuel vouchers to heat his flat. As the funeral approached we realised he had no clothes, other than his work uniform, so we contacted one of our generous corporate supporters, Childrensalon, who helped him with clothing, including a coat and shoes. We supported him again at Christmas, as he continued to struggle with his mum’s passing.

Jen came to us through a Holiday Hunger referral from her son Jake’s school. Jake has significant learning difficulties, something that Jen often struggled to understand and help him with. Nourish talked to Jen about Jake’s food obsessions and adapted the parcels to suit his needs. We also helped Jen to get appropriate housing and advised her on the available benefits and how to apply for them. Later in the year, they came to us again for food support, when Jen needed money for Jake’s school uniform, but things are improving for them in their new home.

Magda is in her 50s and had been homeless for over 10 years. After getting help from the Bridge Trust, a Nourish referral agency, she was ready to move into some accommodation on her own. However, the change was tricky and she struggled mentally and financially with moving from supported to independent living. Nourish provided her with a starter parcel for her new home, and then five weeks of food parcels together with a slow cooker. Magda found a part time job and began to learn how to manage her money. She enjoyed her chats with her regular Nourish delivery driver and the contact and support helped her adapt - and she now volunteers at a food larder near her home.

All names have been changed to protect identities.

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Donations and income

Food donations in 2023-24

As a foodbank charity, we rely on donations to feed our clients. In 2022-23 we experienced a significant fall in food donations, a trend which continued into 2023-24. This has meant in the early part of the year that once again we had to purchase food supplies using financial donations and cash reserves. As the year continued, however, our efforts to increase the number and size of food donations bore fruit. Thanks to increased amounts donated at Harvest and Christmas collections, as well as targeted donation drives at supermarkets, our food supplies were again at a sustainable level. Looking forward to 2024-25, we are hopeful that, with continued sustained activity on our part and generosity from our wonderful donors, food donations will continue at this level.

Financial income in 2023-24

Financial donations and grants fund the core costs which enable our frontline work. We are extremely grateful for regular donations, which have increased in number and value since last year. This builds our financial sustainability, and predictable cashflow enables us to plan expenditure and invest in new initiatives. This year we were able to significantly increase contributions from grant-funding sources, thanks to targeted efforts in that area. Further information on our income is shown in our audited annual accounts on pages 14-21.

Key supporters

Grant-makers

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Community Support Fund, Kent Community Foundation, The National Lottery Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund, Hollick Family Foundation, Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation High Hilden Fund, The Ian Maidens Charitable Trust, Gatwick Foundation Fund, The Lawson Trust, Kent Reliance Provident Society Community Fund, The Souter Charitable Trust, Neighbourly: JD Foundation, Neighbourly: Southern Co-op, The Cole Charitable Trust,

The SMB Charitable Trust, The Locke Family Charitable Fund, South East Water TW Community Fund and The Kenora Foundation

Corporates

Childrensalon, The Guinea, Maxipay and The Bell in Ticehurst

Activision Bailey Wighton Ltd, Black Dog Café, BNP Paribas, Boston Consulting Group Ltd, Citibank, Cobwebb, Corinthian Benefits Consulting Ltd, Commotion Group, Cooper Burnett, Gail’s Bakery, Groombridge Farm Shop, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Lush Cosmetics, Maslins, Metrobank, Mitchell Design and Construction Ltd, Sainsbury’s and Shredquarters Tunbridge Wells

Southern Co-op, STEP Exhibitions, Team Gingermay, The Bank of England, The Bicycle Bakery, The Forum, Thomson Snell & Passmore Charitable Trust, Town & Country Housing Group TWUNT, 10Ninety Ltd and V2Radio

Our local community

Beechwood School Parents’ Association, Benenden School Broomhill Bank School, Cranbrook School, Christchurch Tunbridge Wells, Church of King Charles the Martyr, Crowborough Vale WI, Eridge Fair, Fidgets Preschool, Friends of Marlborough House, Groombridge Amateur Dramatic Society (GADS), Molyneux Park Residents Association, Penshurst Church, Rotary Club of Tunbridge Wells, Royal Tunbridge Wells Round Table, Sacred Heart Church, Wadhurst, Soroptimist International Tunbridge Wells, Speldhurst Fete, St Augustine’s Church - Flimwell, St Augustine’s Church - Tunbridge Wells, St George’s PCC Benenden, St James Primary School, St Mary’s Church Speldhurst, St Matthew’s Church, St Matthew’s Primary School, St Paul’s Church Rusthall, St Thomas Church, The Mead School, The Oddfellows Tunbridge Wells, The Pantiles Rotary Club,

The Skinners’ School students, The Venerables, Tidebrook Church,

Tonbridge Adult Education Centre, Tonbridge Lions, TW Lotto, TWRFC, Wadhurst Friends, Wadhurst Parish Church, Wadhurst Trefoil Guild, Wealden Consort Choir, Wells Angels WI, West Kent Masons and West Kent Quakers

Gift in kind supporters

British Land, Cobwebb, Colley Raine & Associates, Deeks Evans, Infinity Group, Salesforce, SS Distribution, Step3 Digital and Zendbox

Individual fundraisers

Theo Hyams requested donations to Nourish for his birthday present and raised over £300
Martin Brice ran the Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon and raised over £500
Jayna Marsh and the Skinners team also ran the Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon for us again and raised nearly £500
Bryn Owen-Conway raised £125 on our behalf by fasting for 5 days!
Our Dragon Boat Rowers helped us raise over £1,500

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Nourish Com m unity Food Ba nk Ltd

Re port of the Truste e s for the Ye a r Ende d 31 Ma rch 2024

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Gove rning docum e nt

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

REFERENCE AND ADMINI STRATIVE DETAILS

Re giste re d Com pa ny num be r 08303764 (England and Wales)

Re giste re d Cha rity num be r 1154716

Re giste re d office Unit 5 Kingstanding Way Tunbridge Wells Kent TN2 3UP

Truste e s Ms N G Hill (resigned 14.5.23) Ms A E Jordan (resigned 14.11.23) Ms V B R Packer Ms B Roy Ms S L Smith A Tofts S P Vincent P J Wooster Ms L Mepham (resigned 30.4.24) A Conroy D S Robson (appointed 15.5.23) (resigned 16.1.24) M Lowe (appointed 18.5.23) M D Weller (appointed 12.3.24) Ms S Puranik (appointed 14.3.24) Ms E Hanham (appointed 13.3.24)

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I nde pe nde nt Exa m ine r Deeks Evans Audit Services Limited Chartered Accountants First Floor, West Barn North Frith Farm, Ashes Lane Hadlow Tonbridge Kent TN11 9QU

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 2 September 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

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P J Wooster - Trustee

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Inde pe nde nt Exa m ine r's Re port to the Truste e s of Nourish Com m unity Food Ba nk Ltd

I nde pe nde nt e xa m ine r's re port to the truste e s of Nourish Com m unity Food Bank Ltd ('the Com pa ny') I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Re sponsibilitie s a nd ba sis of re port As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

I nde pe nde nt e xa m ine r's sta te m e nt

Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Richard Young ACA

Deeks Evans Audit Services Limited Chartered Accountants First Floor, West Barn North Frith Farm, Ashes Lane Hadlow Tonbridge Kent TN11 9QU

2 September 2024

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Nourish Com m unity Food Ba nk Ltd Sta te m e nt of Financia l Activitie s for the Ye a r Ende d 31 Ma rch 2024 Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Notes £ £ I NCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 2 315,283 113,500 Cha rita ble a ctivitie s Charitable activities 16,253 - Investment income 3 10,693 - Other income 2,478 - Tota l 344,707 113,500 EXPENDI TURE ON Raising funds 37,271 - Cha rita ble a ctivitie s Charitable activities 310,913 113,500 Other 22,159 - Tota l 370,343 113,500 NET INCOME/ (EXPENDI TURE) (25,636) - RECONCILIATI ON OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 470,715 - TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 445,079 -	Nourish Com m unity Food Ba nk Ltd Sta te m e nt of Financia l Activitie s for the Ye a r Ende d 31 Ma rch 2024 Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Notes £ £ I NCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 2 315,283 113,500 Cha rita ble a ctivitie s Charitable activities 16,253 - Investment income 3 10,693 - Other income 2,478 - Tota l 344,707 113,500 EXPENDI TURE ON Raising funds 37,271 - Cha rita ble a ctivitie s Charitable activities 310,913 113,500 Other 22,159 - Tota l 370,343 113,500 NET INCOME/ (EXPENDI TURE) (25,636) - RECONCILIATI ON OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 470,715 - TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 445,079 -	Nourish Com m unity Food Ba nk Ltd Sta te m e nt of Financia l Activitie s for the Ye a r Ende d 31 Ma rch 2024 Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Notes £ £ I NCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 2 315,283 113,500 Cha rita ble a ctivitie s Charitable activities 16,253 - Investment income 3 10,693 - Other income 2,478 - Tota l 344,707 113,500 EXPENDI TURE ON Raising funds 37,271 - Cha rita ble a ctivitie s Charitable activities 310,913 113,500 Other 22,159 - Tota l 370,343 113,500 NET INCOME/ (EXPENDI TURE) (25,636) - RECONCILIATI ON OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 470,715 - TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 445,079 -	2024 Total funds £ 428,783 16,253 10,693 2,478 458,207 37,271 424,413 22,159 483,843 (25,636) 470,715 445,079	2023 Total funds £ 469,190 22,469 2,605 315 494,579 22,123 414,953 12,296 449,372 45,207 425,508 470,715
	470,715 445,079	- -

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The notes form part of these financial statements

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Nourish Com m unity Food Ba nk Ltd

Note s to the Financia l Sta te m e nts for the Ye a r Ende d 31 Ma rch 2024

1. ACCOUNTING POLI CI ES

Ba sis of pre pa ring the fina ncia l sta te m e nts The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

I ncom e

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expe nditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Ta ngible fixe d a sse ts

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Ta xa tion

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES
Donations Grants 3. I NVESTMENT I NCOME Deposit account interest	2024 £ 276,133 152,650 428,783 2024 £ 10,693		2023 £ 357,851 111,339 469,190 2023 £ 2,605

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continued...

Nourish Com m unity Food Ba nk Ltd

Note s to the Fina ncia l Sta te m e nts - continue d for the Ye a r Ende d 31 Ma rch 2024

4. NET I NCOME/ (EXPENDI TURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

	2024	2023
	£	£
Depreciation - owned assets	15,146	12,296

5. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFI TS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2024 nor for the year ended 31 March 2023.

Truste e s' e xpe nse s

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2024 nor for the year ended 31 March 2023.

6. STAFF COSTS

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

Salaries No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000. 7. TANGIBLE FI XED ASSETS Short leasehold £ COST At 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 43,476 DEPRECI ATION At 1 April 2023 8,696 Charge for year 4,346 At 31 March 2024 13,042 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2024 30,434 At 31 March 2023 34,780 8. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLI NG DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Other debtors Accrued income Prepayments	Salaries No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000. 7. TANGIBLE FI XED ASSETS Short leasehold £ COST At 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 43,476 DEPRECI ATION At 1 April 2023 8,696 Charge for year 4,346 At 31 March 2024 13,042 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2024 30,434 At 31 March 2023 34,780 8. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLI NG DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Other debtors Accrued income Prepayments	2024 5 Motor vehicles £ 43,193 3,600 10,800 14,400 28,793 39,593 2024 £ 36,369 - 3,351	2023 5 Totals £ 86,669 12,296 15,146 27,442 59,227 74,373 2023 £ 34,539 990 3,178
		39,720	38,707

Page 6

continued...

Nourish Com m unity Food Ba nk Ltd

Note s to the Fina ncia l Sta te m e nts - continue d for the Ye a r Ende d 31 Ma rch 2024

9. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WI THIN ONE YEAR

Social security and other taxes Other creditors Accruals and deferred income	2024 £ 2,319 1,964 4,520 8,803	2023 £ 2,152 4,136 3,273 9,561

10. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

10. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Unre stricte d funds General fund Cessation of activities Funding shortfall Warehouse Reserve Hypothecated for Fuel Vouchers Self-referral Project TOTAL FUNDS Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Unre stricte d funds General fund Cessation of activities Funding shortfall Hypothecated for Fuel Vouchers Self-referral Project Re stricte d funds Kent Community Foundation National Lottery Tunbridge Wells Community Support Fund Hollick Family Charitable Trust Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust Garfield Weston Foundation TOTAL FUNDS	At 1.4.23 £ 45,715 150,000 150,000 25,000 100,000 - 470,715 470,715 Incoming resources £ 294,707 - - - 50,000 344,707 21,000 40,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 7,500 113,500 458,207	Net movement At in funds 31.3.24 £ £ 49,364 95,079 (25,000) 125,000 (50,000) 100,000 - 25,000 (50,000) 50,000 50,000 50,000 (25,636) 445,079 (25,636) 445,079 Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (245,343) 49,364 (25,000) (25,000) (50,000) (50,000) (50,000) (50,000) - 50,000 (370,343) (25,636) (21,000) - (40,000) - (20,000) - (15,000) - (10,000) - (7,500) - (113,500) - (483,843) (25,636)

continued...

Page 7

Nourish Com m unity Food Ba nk Ltd

Note s to the Fina ncia l Sta te m e nts - continue d for the Ye a r Ende d 31 Ma rch 2024

10. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continue d

Com pa ra tive s for m ove m e nt in funds

At 1.4.22
£
Unre stricte d funds
General fund
90,053
Cessation of activities
150,000
Funding shortfall
150,000
Warehouse Reserve
25,000
Hypothecated for Fuel Vouchers
-
415,053
Re stricte d funds
Sainsburys Neighbourly Grant
455
Kent Community Foundation
10,000
10,455
TOTAL FUNDS
425,508
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming
resources
£
Unre stricte d funds
General fund
394,579
Hypothecated for Fuel Vouchers
100,000
494,579
Re stricte d funds
Sainsburys Neighbourly Grant
-
Kent Community Foundation
-
-
TOTAL FUNDS
494,579

Net
movement
At
in funds
31.3.23
£
£
(44,338)
45,715
-
150,000
-
150,000
-
25,000
100,000
100,000
55,662
470,715
(455)
-
(10,000)
-
(10,455)
-
45,207
470,715
Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(438,917)
(44,338)
-
100,000
(438,917)
55,662
(455)
(455)
(10,000)
(10,000)
(10,455)
(10,455)
(449,372)
45,207

11. RELATED PARTY DI SCLOSURES

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2024.

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Page 8

Nourish Com m unity Food Ba nk Ltd De ta ile d Sta te m e nt of Fina ncia l Activitie s for the Ye a r Ende d 31 Ma rch 2024 I NCOME AND ENDOWMENTS Dona tions and le ga cie s Donations Grants I nve stm e nt incom e Deposit account interest Cha rita ble a ctivitie s Fundraising events Othe r incom e Other income Tota l incom ing re source s EXPENDI TURE Raising dona tions a nd le ga cie s Fundraising costs Marketing & promotion Cha rita ble a ctivitie s Wages Insurance Telephone Sub-contractors Travel costs Sundries Food purchases Warehouse expenses Gas and Electricity vouchers Slow cookers Support costs Ma na ge m e nt Depreciation of tangible and heritage assets Fina nce Bank charges Gove rna nce costs Governance costs Accountancy Total resources expended Ne t (e xpe nditure )/ incom e	2024 £ 276,133 152,650 428,783 10,693 16,253 2,478 458,207 30,036 7,235 37,271 123,460 2,783 3,183 62 13,676 2,153 123,236 45,856 110,004 - 424,413 15,146 1,176 2,837 3000	2023 £ 357,851 111,339 469,190 2,605 22,469 315 494,579 19,496 2,627 22,123 109,512 2,690 2,835 259 21,991 3,374 105,055 45,610 113,754 4,155 409,235 12,296 503 2,215 3000
	, 5,837 483,843 (25,636)	, 5,215 449,372 45,207

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

Page 9

Structure, governance and management

The organisation is a Charity and Company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 22 November 2012 and registered as a charity on 24 November 2013. The Company was established under a Memorandum of Association, which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association.

The Directors of the Company are also Charity Trustees for the purposes of Charity law. All Trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. No expenses were claimed from the charity during this period. Trustees met regularly during the twelve month period to 31 March 2024. The membership of the Board of Trustees is intended to reflect the knowledge and skills required to manage a local foodbank, and new Trustees are invited to join as necessary areas of expertise are identified. Potential new Trustees are interviewed and briefed by the Chair and one or two other Trustees and are invited to attend Board meetings as observers before joining the Board. The charity had five employees during the reporting period, who worked with over 50 volunteers to manage food collection and distribution, referrals and administration.

The charity relies on grants and donations to fund its work, which are liable to fluctuate from year to year. Principal financial management policies will be found in the notes to the Financial Statements, which are available on request.

We regularly review and update our operations handbook, induction and training (for staff, trustees and other volunteers) to implement good practice. To ensure that Nourish is governed effectively, and that we keep our staff, volunteers and clients safe, we have implemented appropriate policies and procedures. These are kept under review as our operations evolve, new challenges emerge and new guidance and requirements are issued by regulatory bodies, such as the Charity Commission and Information Commissioner’s Office. Where necessary, we also call on external support to improve our governance and operations. These policies and procedures are available on request.

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Looking ahead

Next year’s picture is uncertain. This time last year we expressed concerns about being able to meet the demand in 2023-24 with both a large growth in clients and a continuing fall in food donations anticipated. The food donation levels have stabilised, so we feel this is manageable as we look ahead. However, client referrals is an unknown quantity which we cannot predict. On the one hand, even though we delivered more food than ever, the increase in demand in 2023-24 was not as drastic as we expected. Yet our volunteers and staff in the community still see evidence of growing hardship, particularly caused by benefit problems and debt. While inflation shows signs of coming down, food costs are still very high relative to the earnings of the lowest paid and relative to benefits which have largely failed to keep pace with price rises. We are seeing signs of support systems beginning to break: increasingly, referrers are struggling to take on new clients and so are often unable to refer new people our way, suggesting levels of crisis remain high if not higher than they were. With potential changes from the new government during the coming years, there are multiple factors which make it difficult to plan ahead.

To ensure that we are best placed to meet demand from local people in crisis, we are improving our processes. Our new website should help people get help from us if they need it, or support us if they want to. As part of that work, we have an updated referral database which will help us get support to our clients more effectively and with more data recorded to understand patterns of demand better. We will be trialling a direct referral system, to allow clients to come to us directly. This is because we are concerned that the blockages at the referral agent level are preventing potential clients from getting the help from us that they need. This will be managed and monitored by the Operations Director and the Board.

Reassuringly, there remains a deep generosity that we see from local people who help us with food, money and time. The desire to help those in crisis who live nearby remains as strong as ever in our area. If you would like to support us in our efforts as well, please get in touch.

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Grant funders

Nourish Community Foodbank would particularly like to thank the following organisations for their generous support through grant funding in 2023-24.

The SMB Charitable Trust